Fire burns electronic waste pile next to Exploration Station in Grover Beach

Fire investigators continued on Thursday afternoon to sift through debris from a blaze that burned some electronic waste located behind the Exploration Station in Grover Beach.

The fire started at 10:54 a.m. at 867 Ramona Ave., fire officials said, and was put out by 11:12 a.m. The cause is still unknown, but it appeared to have started where a pile of computers and televisions had been stored outside the building, waiting to be picked up to be recycled, officials said.

The fire then spread up an adjacent wall and damaged part of a fence and nearby structure, said Battalion Chief Riki Heath of the Five Cities Fire Authority.

Officials said the structure is believed to be a residence connected to the Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church at 845 Ramona Ave. Heath said firefighters prevented the flames from spreading to the attic, and that is it likely habitable.

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No one was in either building when the fire started, nor was anyone injured. A damage estimate was not yet available.

Deborah Love, the nonprofit Exploration Station’s executive director, said the electronics were “things that had been tested and deemed unusable.” The pile was mainly shells of computers and televisions, she said.

Love said the fire caused some minor damage, including water damage, to a bathroom at the rear of the Exploration Station. It’s unknown how soon it will reopen.

— Cynthia Lambert

Original story:

A fire that burned near the Exploration Station in Grover Beach on Thursday is believed to have started in an electronic waste pile behind the building.

The fire was first reported at 10:54 a.m., according to officials. It was put out less than one hour later.

The Exploration Station, located at 867 Ramona Ave., picks up old televisions, computers and other electronic equipment twice a week for recycling. Fire officials believe the blaze started in the pile.

A restroom at the rear of the Exploration Station had some water and smoke damage, said Executive Director Deborah Love.

A neighboring building also sustained some damage.

The Exploration Station is a nonprofit facility that provides science-based activities for youth.